Orange County Golf Course Reviews
San Juan Hills Golf Club ReviewSan Juan Capistrano, CA
70.5 rating; 127 slope |
San Juan Hills Golf Club Overview: This golf course name is fair advertising as the course does indeed play up, down and around the hills of San Juan Capistrano. The course does have a few unique challenges on those golf holes, with some good uphill and downhill offerings, along with a few that are more mundane or that need some local knowledge. There is also a section of flat holes so the golfer really gets all the different type of holes from an elevation perspective. Like most Orange County golf courses, the price is higher than it should be, but it's a decent track with intrigue along the way. The most memorable golf holes are reviewed below:
San Juan Hills Golf Club Hole 1: The first tee shot is very close to the pro shop so it is likely to be watched by somebody outside your group. Other than that, clearing the water is really easy and the second shot is uphill to a green that has bunkers that should be avoided. The player should also try to leave their shot below the hole as the green slopes sharply from back to front.
San Juan Hills Golf Club Hole 1: The first tee shot is very close to the pro shop so it is likely to be watched by somebody outside your group. Other than that, clearing the water is really easy and the second shot is uphill to a green that has bunkers that should be avoided. The player should also try to leave their shot below the hole as the green slopes sharply from back to front.
San Juan Hills Golf Club Hole 3: This strong par four is not long and plays downhill but the lake to the right is very much in play; a drive that stays near it, however, will leave a better angle and shorter approach to the green. Those drives hit to the left will find themselves a longer approach, and the green is well-guarded with less room for error.
San Juan Hills Golf Club Hole 5: The best of the uphill par fours is this nice dogleg left. The drive appears tight (and relatively is) but there is a fairly flat plateau with more room left than is visible from the tee. The green is fairly shallow with fronting bunkers and a very strong slope on it making long putts very tough.
San Juan Hills Golf Club Hole 6 (left): This par five is way down hill and plays between a hill that is OB to the right and another hill left that will most likely be a lost ball. The driver can play conservatively or try to bite off a little bit of the hill on the left as the hole sweeps left and then flattens out. There is a neck around 125 yards that tightens and then the hole opens up a bit, but the green has a drop off to the right making up and down difficult from there.
San Juan Hills Golf Club Hole 11 (below): The best pure challenge on the course is the long, flat, straight, par four 11th. At 445 yards from the tips, there is also hazard all the way down the left and a lake on the right of the tee shot. Thus, two long, straight and accurate shots must bit hit to avoid a big number here.
San Juan Hills Golf Club Hole 11 (below): The best pure challenge on the course is the long, flat, straight, par four 11th. At 445 yards from the tips, there is also hazard all the way down the left and a lake on the right of the tee shot. Thus, two long, straight and accurate shots must bit hit to avoid a big number here.
San Juan Hills Golf Club Hole 14: This short par three is also quite memorable as it plays downhill over a little lake, with an angled green that requires a good combination of distance control and accuracy to make par.